Mahler: The Complete Symphonies
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Editorial Reviews
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For many of us, Leonard Bernstein's first Mahler cycle for CBS (compiled here, remastered and cheaper than ever) has stood the test of time since it initially came out on LP in the late 1960s. Upon completing this traversal of nine symphonies (and the "Adagio" movement from the unfinished 10th), Lenny and the New York Philharmonic achieved something no one else had and proved that Mahler was, simply put, worth recording in the first place. It's still a marvelous set of recordings that belongs in every record collection.
Using the same budgeted design as on their (surprisingly pricey) Original Jacket series of box sets, Sony has unleashed a true bargain here: 12 CDs that average a little over five bucks a pop. Lenny's second cycle for Deutsche Grammophon may boast greater sonics, plenty of wonderful moments, and the complete song cycles, but it costs more than twice as much. Here, we get a younger Lenny, sounding fresh and expressive and delivering still-unparalleled interpretations of the First, Third, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth, and pretty great performances of the rest. The intensity on these discs is infectious and the price can't be beat. A must-have. --Jason Verlinde
Customer Reviews
Bernstein's Mahler
This is an excellent set of Mahler's symphonies, the Kindertotenlieder, three Ruckertlieder, and the adagio of the tenth. But these are not the only Mahler symphonies conducted by Bernstein, and Bernstein is not the best. but if you want to get all of them at once, this is the way to do it. I think Bruno Walter or Herbert von Karajan might be better, and there is a new set that David Zinman is working on right now.
I have other recordings of the first, second, fifth, sixth, and eighth. So of these I can give more educated criticisms.
The first is impressive, and I like it more than Zinman's. I can hear more in Bernstein's than in Zinman's.
In the second, the singing starts off sounding like a rubber band. I know this is an odd comparison, but I can't think of anything else. I remember being more impressed by Zubin Mehta's and Bruno Walter's recordings than this one; although Walter's chorus isn't great either, it is due more to the recording than the chorus.
The fourth movement of the sixth is more effective than the fourth of Karajan's, but I like Karajan's first three movements better than Bernstein's.
I prefer Solti's eighth much more than Bernstein's, the chorus is much louder and more awake sounding in Solti's.
The ninth is probably Mahler's greatest symphony, but by no means my favorite. The first movement is beautiful, the second is lively, the third demonic, and the fourth peaceful. I think this is just the effect it is supposed to have.
If you already have individual symphonies, I would not recommend getting this set, but if you have little or nothing by Mahler, then this is a good investment. One irritating thing is that most of the symphonies are seperated into many different tracks (28 for the ninth). This is alright if you are listening straight through or if you know when a movement starts or stops, but if you are new, it might be annoying.
Varied Ways of Looking at Mahler
In general, I don't find "complete symphonies" of anybody with the same conductor satisfying overviews (exceptions that break the rule, Beethoven: Karajan's from the 1960s, Harnoncourt's, and Furtwangler's compilations which include the wartime Eroica from Berlin and the Pastorale from his return to the BPO concert). Conductors as a rule are better at some than at others. Specifically with Mahler, I need to admit that I don't like all the symphonies equally, nor do I find any one conductor doing them equally as well, so overall, I suggest don't get this box but look for individual items. Let's take one symphony at a time:
First: not one of my favourites, I think it's very loud. Bernstein brings out the klezmer aspects which are cute, but perhaps more subdued highlighting would be enough. It's the "Titan," not the "Jewish" symphony. The performance I enjoy, given that I'm not a fan of the work, is Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orch which includes the Blumine movement (excised by Mahler after the premiere), and shows the later Philadelphia sound at its best.
Second: The earlier movements of the symphony are insufferable, as well as parts of the last.... just when you hope Mahler is through with gaucheries, along comes another embarrasing little march. Notwithstanding shortcomings, by the time the chorus comes in, it becomes sublime. No one can top Klemperer/Wilhelm Pitz, serious music making at its best. Abbado from Lucerne a close second. Rattle from Birmingham a refreshing third.
Third: Have not heard fabled Horenstein, so regrettably, not part of this survey. Otherwise, Abbado from Vienna (Jessie Norman), slower, Abbado from Berlin (Larsson),a bit sprightlier, Essa Pekka Salonen from LA (Larsson), great clarity and passion. This is one of my favourite Mahler symphonies.
Fourth: Reiner with the CSO and Lisa della Casa, to my knowledge his only Mahler symphony, and a great one it is, lyrical and powerful. This symphony has lovely moments, even if the end is a bit saccharine/silly, nonetheless, it is quite fine. Bernstein on DG is fine, but having a boy soprano (Alan Bergius, whom he also used in live concert with the VPO in New York) just doesn't work and is distracting.
Fifth: Another of my favourites and hors de concours go to Karajan. He totally commands the structure of the entire piece and brings it all to bear in the climactic conclusion. ..... a stunning, moving job. Barbarolli is more leisurely but persuasive in a somewhat muted way. Bernstein brings his sense of drama to this sprawling work, very effective in individual parts but does not convey a feeling that one has travelled a musical journey from the first note to the last. The later recording is preferable to the NY Philhamonic.
Sixth: For a budget price incredible buy, there's George Szell with the Cleveland in a live performance who keeps you at the edge of your seat. It's Tragic going on Hysterical, but a thrill to hear. Karajan excels as do Bernstein and Boulez.
Seventh: I've yet to fully make this symphony work for me. Nonetheless, Abbado with the BPO does as much for it as I have been able to grasp, closely followed by Boulez. Bernstein makes much drama out of the music which to my ears, just makes it sound even more hollow, to paraphrase WS much sound and fury, signifying nothing. To summarize my feelings about this symphony, it sounds like a second rate, ingenious composer trying to write a symphony that will sound as if by Mahler. I've changed my mind about specific pieces of music in the course of my life, but every time I've heard this symphony, even with renowned conductors and orchestras, it reinforces what I have felt in the past.
Eighth: Solti and the CSO recorded in Vienna. No one comes close. The Veni Creator movement noisy and musically messy as always and as with everybody. Once we get to Goethe it is sublime.
Ninth: Karajan's live performance with the BPO is powerful verging on sublime. An entirely different approach, with double underlining whenever he can, Bernstein's ONE performance with the BPO is the best ninth he ever recorded. Extraordinarily moving overall, except some accents to which one reacts: Lenny no, it's just a bit too much, nonetheless a great performance. His with the Concertgebouw is also fine. The Walter/VPO is a must for historical reasons and it is a good performance, even if orchestral discipline is spotty.
Tenth: Rattle seems to have staked a claim on this reconstructed work and does quite efficient work with it. However, I am very fond of the Ormandy version (the first ever made of the Cooke fleshing out). He conducts it as a feast for Phildelphia Sound..... and succeeds splendidly. It's a joy to hear and endures repeated hearings.
Das Lied von der Erde: With a deep historical bow to Kirsten Thorborg, Kathleen Ferrier, Patzak, Walter and the VPO, in more modern sound we have three superlative recordings, each with Christa Ludwig, who probably understands this music better than any other solo around, and for the longest time had the richness, intelligence, heft, evennes, and tessitura to do it full justice: Klemperer with Wunderlich, Karajan with Kollo, and, on DVD with Bernstein with Kollo and the Israel Ph. from the Vienna Kontzerthaus. The DVD is particularly moving. Nan Merriman with Eugen Jochum, and Maureen Forrester with Reiner are also fine options.
Thus, don't settle on one conductor....... there was Mahler before, during and after Bernstein. My reluctance to endorse Bernstein wholeheartedly, though I find much to appreciate there, is that the hyper-emotionalism more often than not is episodic, thereby taking from the musical structure of the pieces as a whole and, ironically, thereby diminishing their emotional impact. I guess it all becomes too much about Lenny and not about the piece.
Groundbreaking but partly outdated
Recorded 1960-67, this is the first complete cycle of Mahler's numbered symphonies (1-9 + no. 10 Adagio), and, as such, an essential purchase. Add Bernstein's 1966 classic recording of Das Lied von der Erde (Decca), and you get a piece of recording history: the development of the Mahler boom in the sixties.
How do these recordings stand today? The interpretations of the third, fourth, and seventh are very fine, even exceptional, and, despite their age, the recordings are sonically impressive as well. NYPO plays marvellously. The seventh, in particular, is a reference disc.
The remaining recordings are not really for the desert island, however. The fifth, for instance, is very unsuccessful and badly recorded too. Bernstein's later account on DG is clearly an improvement. The same holds for the second symphony, which you also find on DG in a later, much improved and moving interpretation. But here we have also a crowded field of classic performances, such as Klemperer's second (EMI) and Walter's fifth (SONY). Both are preferable to Bernstein's recordings, old or new.
The first, sixth, eight and ninth are quite good but not exceptional. No one beats Kubelik's first (DG). Mitropoulos (BMG Great Conductors) and Barbirolli (EMI) own the sixth. The eight - well, here we have Horenstein (BBC) and Mitropoulos (Orfeo) as classic, first choices. And for the ninth, Ancerl (Supraphon), Barbirolli (EMI), Klemperer (EMI) and Walter (SONY) sound far more attractive and fresh than Bernstein's mannered account.
If you're a collector this box is of course essential - regardless all critical considerations. But if you just look for an excellent and consistent Mahler box, go for Gary Bertini's cycle on EMI, which you get for a super-bargain price. It's a contemporary and future classic.
Thus I recommend a pick of individual Bernstein SONY CDs: the third, the fourth and the seventh. Add his seventh, sixth, fifth and second from his DG recordings, and his 1966 Das Lied von der Erde (Decca). These recordings are what I take to be the "essentials" of the Bernstein Mahler legacy.
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